Umbrella



Feb. 23, 1937. G. s. BERMAN 2,071,724

UMBRELLA Filed June 14, 1934 I N VENTOR;

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention has reference to umbrellas of all kinds, and particularly relates to certain details of construction by which the umbrella can be assembled, the parts thereof dissociated, `and 5 when assembled can be utilized for all usual and useful purposes, and in addition to these for advertising, campaigning and as a toy.

Among the objects of my invention may be noted the following: to provide a simple, cheaply constructed, strong and durable umbrella which is particularly adapted for advertising and other useful purposes, and which may be used as a toy as well as a utility or made so as to be highly useful under all circumstances; to provide an umbrella, as set forth in the foregoing, which is composed of very few parts and which can be readily assembled and knocked down by anyone unskilled in the art; to provide an umbrella which is so constructed as to be utilizable in all sizes for many purposes such as advertising, campaigning, in an emergency, or as a toy, in addition to the customary uses for protection from rain and sunshine; and to provide a structure which can be knocked down and the parts thereof readily packed in small compass whether for transporta tion, sale, or display.

With the foregoing objects in view and others which will be detailed during the course of this description, my invention consists in the parts,

features, elements and combinations thereof hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have provided a `drawing wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of an umbrella em.-

bodying my invention; i

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view showing a means employed byme as a former for the cover or shield of the umbrella;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of another form of my invention; y

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 4 similar to Figure 2; and

Figures 6 and '7 are the shaping means for the corrugated structure of Figures 4 and 5.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures l, 2, and 3, the numeral I indicates a at blank circular or otherwise shaped of suitable material and size, to be used as the cover or shield according to the purpose for which the umbrella is made. The flat blank of material is divided, separated or slotted radially from its circumference or periphery to its center, where the ,55 dividing slit is formed into a central circular aperture 2 adapted to receive one end of the supporting stick 3. The disk I may be composed of stiff cardboard, Bristol board, papier-mch, brous material, thin sheet metal, Celluloid, waterproof or moisture resistant material, or any 5 other material found suitable for the purposes of my invention, Whether the latter be rigidity, strength, durability, or the disk is to be ornate or provided with ornamentation. The stick or rod 3 may be composed of suitable wood, composition lo or metal, and is to be formed approximately uniform from end to end.

The stick or rod 3 is to be inserted at its supporting end 4 through the aperture 2 of the umbrella top or shielding portion l after the overlo lapping portions 5, 6 have been secured together by fastening means such as l, which may be ordinary fasteners, the prongs of which are readily pushed through the material of the disk or passed through apertures provided for the pur- 20 pose, and which prongs are readily bent on the inside of the disk to thus hold the overlapping parts together, as shown in Figure 2. This form of fastening is suggestive merely, and I desire it understood that my invention is not confined 25 thereto, the said fastening means being a type which may be readily applied by hand and by one unskilled in the art. Brads or other forms of fasteners may be applied, either by hand or mechanically, to close the slot by overlapping the 30 parts of the disk as above described. And said fasteners are adapted so that the head of the fasteners shall cover up the hole or aperture made in the material through which said shank of fastener passes. 35

The stick or rod 3 has applied thereto vat its outer end a supporting member 8 which may be in the form of a truncated cone provided with an aperture centrally thereof in diameter of approximately the size of the stick 3, the member 8 40 being thus frictionally applied to the stick, and which can be dissociated from the stick. The member 8 operates both as a support for the umbrella top or shielding portion l and also, due to its inclined top surface, as a former for the shield 45 or top, as shown in Figure 2, the permanent form of the shield or top being conical, the concaved portion being toward the user. To hold the concaved shape of the shield or top, as shown in Fig- 50 ure 2, the latter may be secured to the inclined surface of the member 8 by means of fasteners, thumb tacks or similar devices 9 readily applied by the unskilled user by passing the same through the shield or top into or through the supporting former 8, which for the purpose is preferably composed of a comparatively soft wood.

However, the former 8 may be made of metal or other suitable material, in which event a complemental member I0 may be applied frictionally to the outer end of the stick and forced tightly against the shield or cover I so as to cause the latter to take its convexed form against the surface of the former 8 like the dovetailing of a male and female die, as shown in the form of my invention of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive. In this event, the holding means 9 between the former 8 and the cover or shield I may be omitted since the said complemental member I8 of the shaping means will force the shield I snugly against the outer surface of the member'8 and be held thereto frictionally by the cylindrical extension II thereof. In the form of my invention shown inv Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, it will be understood that the former consists of the two members 8 and I8 applied within and without the shield or cover I upon the stick 3; or the shaping member IIJ may be omitted and the fasteners 9 may be passed through merely the shield or cover I and the shaping member 8. It will be obvious, therefore, without additional illustration that the member I 8 may or may not be used.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 4 to 7, inclusive, I have shown the shield or cover I2 composed of corrugated, plaited or folded flexible material, such as outlined in the foregoing, the corrugations being radially extended from the central aperture I3 so as to produce external ribs I4 and internal ribs I5 with intermediate equiformed webs I6, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this form of my invention, the same kind or type of stick 3 is employed; but, the shaping means consists of members such as shown in Figures 6 and '7, the inner member being indicated at Il and the outer member at I8, both these members being corrugated correspondingly with corrugations of the shield or cover I2 and each thereof being of uniform thickness and bent into concavo-convex form. The member I'I has an inwardly turned cylindrical extension I9 which frictionally engages the stick 3 at its outer end 4 so as to hold its place on the latter luider normal pressure or use. The member I8 is provided with an outwardly extended cylindrical member 20, which likewise frictionally engages the outer end 4 of the stick 3, so that the member I8 may be held in place. However, in order that the structure may have greater stability the former (members I'I and I8) is provided with corresponding aper- I tures 2| through which, and through the shield or cover, may be passed any suitable form of pronged fastener such as 9, the prongs of which are outturned so as to secure the member I2, I'I, and I8 more or less rigidly together, the form of the cover or shield I 2 being held or maintained by the corrugations, plaits or ribs given to the shaping4 members I'I and I8. This form of my invention lends itself quite readily to ornamentation for advertising, campaign or other similar purposes and will withstand quite a bit of misuse or abuse.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the umbrella consists of only three or four principal parts, is exceedingly economical to construct, can be assembled by anyunskilled person or even a child, and can be knocked down or the parts thereof dissociated with equal facility. The shield or cover may be of any desirable size, and the other several parts will be only such size as may be found necessary for strength and durability. In fact,

the disk I may be provided in various sizes, and all the parts of my structure may be packed in a small box for transportation, and in said box may be readily displayed; and it will also be seen that the various parts of my invention can readily be nested for package in small compass, for transportation in large quantities.

It will be understood, however, that in the form of my invention of Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, as well as the form of Figures 4 to 7, inclusive, the outer member of the former may be dispensed with. In this event, the temporary fastening means, for holding the shield or cover to the former or shaper, will pass through or into the said two partathe cover and the under supporting disk-according to the type of fastening means employed (such as thumb tacks). It will also be understood that the shield or cover can v be made of normally rigid material capable of being bent slightly into the form of Figures 1, 2, and 3, or it may be made of flexible material readily bent into such form, or it may be made of water-resisting or waterproof material of sufcient rigidity to temporarily answer all purposes in a rain storm. In the form of my invention shown in Figures 4 to 7, inclusive, the shield or cover while it may be made of any of the materials just stated with reference to Figures 1 to 3, is, nevertheless, primarily corrugated or plaited so as to readily assume the form shown in Figures 4 and 5 upon application of the shaping means. Size is not of the essence of my invention, since my umbrella may be a toy, utilized for advertising or campaign purposes, may be of a size such as will be useful in an emergency, or may be made so large as to constitute a sun shield or cover where required at the beaches, on the lawn, on open air porches, etc.

When the cover or shield is corrugated, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it will assume, normally, a creased or fluted, downwardly depressed form which is ornamental, and which on both its outside or inside can be variously colored or ornamented; and, on the other hand, when the umbrella is knocked down for non-use, package or transportation, it can be folded along its corrugations, which radiate from the central aperture I3, into plaits so as to reduce its size and thus enable it to be readily stacked and transported with all its parts, as heretofore suggested.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An umbrella consisting of a flexible, plaited shield, a stick to which the shield is applied, and plaited means between the stick and shield for giving the latter its ultimate shape and holding the same in place on the stick.

2. An umbrella consisting of a flexible, normally wide-spread shield having corrugations radiating from its center, a stick to which the shield is applied, and means between the stick and shield comprising two interacting members corrugated in conformity with the corrugations of the shield for giving the latter its ultimate shape and holding itin place on the stick.

3. An umbrella'consisting of a flexible, normally wide-spread shield having a small aperture in its top, a stick to which the shield is frictionally applied by being thrust through said aperture, and a rigid means between the stick and-shield at the top of the latter for giving the shield its ultimate shape, and holding the same in place on the stick.

GUSTAVE S. BERMAN.". 

